H: Hubs, Wheels and Tyres Poor brakes, 1948 HRD rapide.

[vibrac]

Whats old fashioned about taper rollers?
Just because the factory bean counters want to save a few quid doesnt mean they are superior only that they cost less to fit
Ron Kemps AM4 squeeled like a stuck pig at Silverstone but they were good enough to bend the bottom of Bramptons
Good luck with soft linings especially coming down the mountains to the creg.....
Saftex do an am4 substitute

 

[Eric]

Whats old fashioned about taper rollers?
Just because the factory bean counters want to save a few quid doesnt mean they are superior only that they cost less to fit
Ron Kemps AM4 squeeled like a stuck pig at Silverstone but they were good enough to bend the bottom of Bramptons
Good luck with soft linings especially coming down the mountains to the creg.....
Saftex do an am4 substitute

Taper roller bearings, have to have play to work, hence the shims, later sealed bearings, less play.
Taper roller bearings o/k on cars, but not so good on motorcycle wheels.

 

[bmetcalf]

Airhead BMWs with tapered bearings have some pretty high mileages, along, of course, with some high mile Vins.

 

[Vincent Brake]

in Truth theres only one thing to do......

 

[davidd]

The taper roller bearings are superior at taking very high side loads, something that is not widely needed today unless you are a side car enthusiast. As Greg Brillus pointed out, a sealed bearing on a solo machine will do a good job of keeping grease off the linings.

David

 

[greg brillus]

Eric, You mentioned that the brake shoes/linings were machined to suit the drums, but was this done with the shoes mounted on the brake plates themselves.....?? If not, then the brakes performance will suffer. To simply have linings bonded on, then each shoe radiused to the same ID as the brake drum will not work well at all, this is common practice on shoes for brakes on cars where they operate with hydraulic pressure. As Bill pointed out earlier, the replica plates often have the axle and brake anchor pins out of alignment. Once the shoes are machined on each brake plate it is common for the linings to be thick in some areas and thin at others, which is quite poor, but they will work well if set up this way. This is exactly the set up on my Rapide, and my brakes work very well, even with a pillion passenger aboard. Cheers..............Greg.

 

[Eric]

Basically Vincents are 1930s motorcycles, what bearings where available then.
For motorcycle wheel use, Jeff is a wheel builder by trade.
He had one 1930s wheel, with cup and cone bearings, like a bicycle, but bigger.
Where, taper roller bearings used, as best at the time.

Eric

 

[Eric]

Eric, You mentioned that the brake shoes/linings were machined to suit the drums, but was this done with the shoes mounted on the brake plates themselves.....?? If not, then the brakes performance will suffer. To simply have linings bonded on, then each shoe radiused to the same ID as the brake drum will not work well at all, this is common practice on shoes for brakes on cars where they operate with hydraulic pressure. As Bill pointed out earlier, the replica plates often have the axle and brake anchor pins out of alignment. Once the shoes are machined on each brake plate it is common for the linings to be thick in some areas and thin at others, which is quite poor, but they will work well if set up this way. This is exactly the set up on my Rapide, and my brakes work very well, even with a pillion passenger aboard. Cheers..............Greg.

Yes, the shoes where skimmed on the brake plate, and kept with the plate.

 

[chankly bore]

Another opinion, tapered rollers are damn good, and do high mileages with no problems, but Nilos seals are a must. If your brakes squeal, sleeve your shoe springs in a bit of hose to stop high frequency vibration, or use swivel head springs. Many posts about flexure all the way from the handlebar lever stanchion to the shoes and all station in between. My standard Comet has bloody good standard brakes.

 

[davidd]

Squeal can also be caused by glazed linings and drums if the other solutions do not work.

David